# Canary - Smart Home Security — user reviews > 611 indexed App Store user reviews of Canary by Canary Connect, rated 4.20/5 from 5,417 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canary-smart-home-security/id939760559/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canary-smart-home-security/id939760559.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 3,899 · 4★ 492 · 3★ 120 · 2★ 153 · 1★ 753 ## What do users think of Canary? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Easy to set up - 🔒 Reliable security system - 📊 Comprehensive dashboard and data - 🌡️ Monitors temperature, humidity, and air quality - 💬 Two-way audio communication - 🔊 Loud alarm **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent disconnections and offline issues - 🔍 Poor motion detection and false alerts - 🕰️ Limited video history without subscription - 🔒 Subscription required for essential features - 📺 Slow video loading and playback - 🔌 Unreliable charging and battery life - 🤖 Buggy app with frequent crashes **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes on launch - Inability to delete or remove cameras - Inaccurate temperature and air quality readings - Inconsistent live view and recording functionality **Most requested features** - Ability to move and reposition cameras - Longer video history for free users - Improved geofencing and automatic mode switching - Better motion detection and person identification - Easier multi-camera management ## Newest reviews (16 of 611) ### 3/5 — Never works anymore *2026-07-01, version 8.18.0* Canary is great when it works. But now my camera doesn’t connect and the app crashes instantly when I try to open it. I’ve offloaded. Redownloaded. Nothing. I’ve always had issues with these camera. They just stop working. ### 2/5 — Beware of automatic subscription fees *2026-06-24, version 8.18.0* The app and camera products work fine. Be very careful of the annual premium subscription renewal. It automatically renews and has increased by almost $100 every year. They will not refund the subscription fees unless you cancel before the renewal date. They clearly are desperate for the subscription fees. ### 1/5 — Bait and switch *2026-05-26* Full of ads. Barely functional. Video quality poor. Stay away. **Developer response:** Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns about the ads in our free service. I understand that this can be frustrating, and I appreciate your feedback. The ads help us sustain the service by offsetting the costs associated with ongoing engineering updates required to keep our app compatible with the latest iOS and Android releases. Unfortunately, a one-time hardware purchase does not cover the long-term expenses associated with maintaining and improving the app including security updates. We’re committed to providing a quality experience, and the advertising revenue allows us to continue offering Basic service for free. We also offer a Premium option that provides an ad-free experience, should you be interested. Your input is invaluable to us, and we continuously strive to improve our services. If you have any other questions or suggestions, please feel free to share. Out of the box, your Canary will have access to motion-activated notifications, Two-way Talk, Alexa and Google Home integrations and Watch Live, without any additional cost. What this means is that your Canary won’t capture footage of an empty room but will notify you when motion is detected for you to jump over the Watch Live feature in the app to see the motion as it happens. We’re excited to inform you of the latest Canary features, releases and updates to the Premium Service plan. These include many enhancements in response to our customer requests. Video Cloud Recording Extended to 60 Days: Starting in August 2025 — your full-length video recordings will be stored for 60 days, securely encrypted—double the previous 30-day limit—for even more peace of mind. Next-Level Smart Detections with Video Clip Previews: Enjoy more intelligence added to your Canary system to make notifications even more meaningful and stay ahead of what matters: Loud Sound Detection: Receive a video clip instantly when a loud sound is detected—whether it’s a glass breaking, baby crying or unexpected commotion in your home. Smoke & CO Alarm Detection: Receive a video clip instantly when a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm is detected even when you’re not home — to further strengthen your home security. Package Detection: Launching in August 2025 — receive a video clip instantly when a package is detected and never miss a delivery again. Improved Person, Pet & Vehicle Detection: Smart detection is now better than ever—faster, more accurate, and more reliable—giving you extra confidence that you’ll only be alerted when it truly matters. 30-day Canary Pro HomeHealth: Enjoy an enhanced experience when viewing temperature, humidity, and air quality from your Canary Pro—now with 30-day history. New iOS & Android Widgets: Instantly check in on your home right from your phone’s home screen. The new widgets give you quick access to your Canary camera's live view, and recent events. These improvements come on top of the existing Premium Service benefits, which remain unchanged and continue to include: Full-Length Video Clips: Full-length videos begin when motion is detected until it ends. Motion Notification with Preview Image: Get mobile alerts with preview images when motion is detected. Motion Notification with Video Clip: Get mobile alerts with video clips when motion is detected. Person Detection: Receive a video clip instantly when a person is detected. Pet Detection: Receive a video clip instantly when a pet is detected. Vehicle Detection: Receive a video clip instantly when a vehicle is detected. Insurance Claim Evidence: Video and audio recording of an incident provides indisputable proof for quick and easy insurance claim. Activity Zone Masking: Set alerts for your camera to ignore, receiving only the clips that matter most. Unlimited Video Downloads: Download videos from the Canary app directly to your phone. One-tap to Police: Get instant access to local Police, Fire, and EMS. Auto Siren: Instantly deter intruders with a powerful alarm when it detects motion or a person. Personal Safety Button: Your mobile panic button when away from home—sends police to your exact location. Incident Support: Access our support team, trained to help following a security incident. Priority Customer Support: Get prioritized and faster access to our customer support team. Extended Device Warranty: Two-years from purchase date. Desktop Streaming: Watch live and access your video history from a desktop web browser. Custom Home/Away Modes: Configure recording and alerting when the system is disarmed (e.g. when you are Home or Away). Apple TV Support: Watch live from your Apple TV. Apple Watch App: Receive notifications on your Apple Watch. Expanded Alexa Support: View alerts on your Alexa device as they occur. Improved Timeline: Watch activity on your Timeline on our most powerful and accessible video player and timeline yet. Timeline Filtering: Filter by events, devices, dates, or modes. Effortlessly navigate through your Timeline, focusing on specific events that matter most to you. Select & Delete: View and manage your Timeline better than ever before. Now you can easily manage your Timeline by selecting entries and deleting them in a single action. Picture-in-Picture: Multitask on your mobile device while still keeping an eye on your live and recorded videos. Night Vision Control: Configure how your Canary sees in the dark. Enable auto night vision in the app, or disable it when not needed. ### 1/5 — Don’t do it *2026-05-16, version 8.17.0* App disconnects from the service too much… especially for a pay (premium) service. If you have the free service then maybe you can deal with it. ### 1/5 — Terrible *2026-05-07, version 8.9.2* I've had this app for many years. 2-3 weeks I started having issues viewing even while inside my home let alone when I am out. No solution has been provided- deleted and reinstalled the app and same problem. I can't view video all I get is incorrect connection! Well I've had the same connection for numerous years. ### 1/5 — Terrible piece of garbage *2026-05-06, version 8.17.0* Just so you know; when you need to check on your dogs in your RV in the middle of a heat emergency, you’ll be forced to watch 3 full minutes of ads for fake silicone boob chests on Temu before the camera will enable. This thing is the worst thing I’ve ever bought. The trashiest non stop ads when I’m just trying to use the device as intended. ### 2/5 — Pretty awful *2026-05-01, version 8.17.0* Unless you pay a subscription you don’t get any recordings saved or anything. Even when I was paying for a subscription, it was awful and only recorded like 45 second clips. Honestly, save your money and buy something else. ### 1/5 — Don't buy their cameras *2026-04-28, version 8.17.0* Slowly but surely they're removing EVERY FEATURE from people who backed their Kickstarter. Pretty soon, it'll just be a paper weight ### 1/5 — 憨批 *2026-04-24, version 8.16.1* 费劲 ### 1/5 — Canary *2026-04-24, version 8.16.1* It’s a decent camera but you can get full professional security service for a whole house monitored with multiple sensors and cameras for the price of the service provided with this app for each camera. Mine are going in the garbage It was a great service till the price tripled the last couple years. ### 1/5 — DO NOT BUY *2026-04-15, version 8.16.1* Don't get involved with Canary. Simplisafe is a more tried and true brand. Canary will offer you free months and then pull the rug out if the coupon code doesn't work resulting in you paying $20 per month for one camera! Absurd. Terrible. They are a money grab with a mid product ### 1/5 — Sells ads for security *2026-04-08, version 8.16.1* I got their product through a kickstarter but they didn't understand how to fund it so they started selling extremely long ads that happen in the middle of you checking your home security. If they had advertised they were going to turn to a subscription model, ok. But they didn't so now I have this useless device that spams me. Don't buy! This company will sell you one thing and then change it and also, it's real creepy to see an ad while watching a home camera. What else of yours are they selling to make money? ### 1/5 — Used to be amazing *2026-04-02, version 8.16.1* Since the recent update to services the cameras are useless to us. Not going to pay 20$/month for each camera. 80$/month just to check on my kids when I need to is ridiculous. Cameras have all these features that they completely disabled unless you pay for premium now. Turned out to be another Greedy company. ### 1/5 — Garbage! Fail… *2026-03-24, version 8.16.1* EXTREME use of adds makes the app trash! The developer responded (2 times only to repeat what they previously said) with excuses then copied and pasted all the Canary functions consisting of 686 words to describe their products to make it look like they took the time to “get back to me”. Not worth buying the Canary. If you just purchased one, return it before you experience their shady service. ### 2/5 — Unable to hear w/ Bluetooth Earphones *2026-03-23, version 8.16.1* When paired on my phone, and then I click “live view” it stops playing on BT and only plays through my phone speakers. I don’t know why all of sudden it changed. I need to be able to hear the audio on my BT headphones. ### 1/5 — Overmonitization *2026-03-19, version 8.16.1* You buy the camera but that’s not enough for Canary, they allow you to watch the live feed for 30 second intervals before forcing you to watch an ad. Not to mention an ad banner on the screen while you’re watching the live feed. They want you to buy their subscription and if you don’t then this security camera is basically worthless. It’s disgusting that you buy a product and they still want to charge monthly service just to use that product for its intended use. Do not recommend buying from this brand. Go with Ring instead. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Turning into garbage by the minute *2026-08-27, version 9.0.0* I had 3 canary cameras. Some for more than 6 years. Started with access to live view and historical events for 7 days free. Where do we stand today? I pay a subscription, can only see 25 seconds of live view, and god forbid there is an emergency because the amount of impossible to click out Temu spin the cheap garbage products wheel is persistent and it just keeps on popping up! So go to hell Canary! Hope your business goes to hell just like my relationship with your company! ### 1/5 — Desperate company *2026-08-25, version 9.0.0* Keeps seeing ads or I need to pay $25 per month. That’s insane. While I paid $169 for the device, There is no way this company ever get successful while you can get much better service from Google nest or Amazon , they need to restructure completely. What is the point of showing ads how much money are you making vs getting your customers upset. Also keep getting fake alerts while I am home saying it sew something and can’t turn it off since I don’t have pay subscription anymore. ### 1/5 — Stupid adverts pop-up *2026-08-13, version 9.0.0* The app is basic and surely can’t cost much to manage. The cameras are not cheap, yet they Plaster the app in adverts of which you can’t even close without restarting the whole app. The desperation for a little extra income through in app advertising is pathetic and low. ### 1/5 — This thing is TRASH *2026-08-07, version 9.0.0* This is the worst camera and app of all time. It’s really the software that’s the problem - the hardware is decent enough but when you need to check on your dogs in your RV in the middle of a heat emergency, be prepared to wait for EXTREMELY LONG (and laggy) ads for trashy pay to pay phone games for AGES before being able to check if your pets are in danger. There is no way to exit out until at least a full minute or more has passed and not until You’ve tapped into the App Store 2 or 3 times by being forced to look at the advertised game app in the store before being able to finally move on to see your camera. Usually the app has enough juice in it to show you the ads no problem, but the second it tries to load the camera it just crashes out. What an absolute piece of trash nightmare. Worst thing I’ve ever bought. ### 1/5 — Its a trap *2026-07-31, version 8.18.0* Avoid this scam. They have punished there early adapters by changing to a subscription model after promoting a change to the typical business model by being a free after buying the device service. Nothing but ad’s now. Edit: The app is almost completely useless. Between the ads and just how it functions if you do not pay for a monthly subscription, you basically would have to be looking at the app 24/7 to see anything. By the time you check the app to see what any notification was about, it is either gone, as they do not save them, or what ever trigger the alarm is not in frame anymore. Then you respond with a giant ad that does not address any issue. At least the device holds doors open quite well, the only feature you do not have to pay for monthly. ### 1/5 — Non functioning app *2026-07-31, version 8.18.0* This app crashes when opened. Literally non functioning app. I feel bad for the poor saps who buy this atrocious product. ### 1/5 — Crashes on Launch *2026-07-08, version 8.18.0* The app crashes on launch on my iPad Pro and my iPhone Air. I cannot access the Canary View at all. I messaged Customer Support and was told to do a password reset. I did, to no avail. I then asked to delete my account, but was informed the app was the only way to do so. Eventually, I bought another company’s camera since the Canary software would not work. As for the hardware, it became for me obsolete e-waste destined for Apple’s recycling program. This camera once was the workhorse of my smart home security system (and I am grateful for what it offered then), but unfortunately the developers turned the app into a clunky, unpleasant experience where a “free” 30-second view of your home arrives between ads. Even if I could tolerate the ad-based “free” experience to access my Canary View (and I was willing to accept that bargain, at least initially), the broken app forced me to move on. ### 1/5 — Worst security camera company *2026-07-05, version 8.18.0* Their app is so dumb. If yiu enable face id, you also have to put passcode. Why. It should just work on your face id. Their showing the ads in free model is absolute terrible. These are > 1 min ad you have to sit through. No wonder with these types of functions they have trouble making sale. I will never buy their device again. ### 1/5 — Don’t waste your money *2026-06-12, version 8.18.0* After having canary for years. The price became ridiculously inflated, compared to other similar home cameras (ring). After cancelling my premium subscription I’ve had nothing but problems. It won’t even do the basics. Bit of malice I suspect. ### 1/5 — App Breaking Ads *2026-05-30, version 8.18.0* Full screen ads pop up with no way to dismiss them, even after waiting several minutes. The only way I found to get back to the app was to completely quit the app and relaunch it. Other apps had dark patterns to mislead the user. Unusable. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Fixed the Issue Quickly *2026-08-10, version 9.0.0* Customer Service responded promptly, clearly explained the issue I was experiencing, and resolved it quickly. The individual was knowledgeable, professional, and made the entire process easy. ### 5/5 — Awesome app *2026-07-25, version 8.18.0* Great app, but lots of ads ### 5/5 — Great support *2026-06-03, version 8.18.0* Canary can be frustrating but once you get to the right person it becomes a great experience . I found support to be professional and friendly and there was a genuine willingness to persist until the problem was fixed ### 5/5 — solid home security *2026-05-13, version 8.17.0* Have had multiple Canary devices for years. They have consistently worked as expected, providing solid home security. The few times I needed to contact customer support, they were very responsive - quick replies and quick resolution to my issues. ### 5/5 — Great Product, Great Service! *2026-03-12, version 8.16.1* Highly recommend. ### 5/5 — Great customer service *2026-03-11, version 8.16.1* This is a good company full stop…excellent customer service, they value their customers 110% ### 5/5 — Amazing Customer Service *2026-03-10, version 8.16.1* Absolutely Stellar (and impressive!) customer service. I had an issue that was addressed professionally and expeditiously! It's refreshing to be treated respectfully, and as a customer who truly matters. Kudos to Canary for their great customer service. ### 5/5 — Best Home Security Service *2026-03-06, version 8.16.1* I’ve used Canary for years. Totally safe & satisfied. Great value. Live stream, historical timelines. Great customer service. ### 5/5 — Best gadget in the house! *2026-02-25, version 8.16.1* Brilliant system that recognises people and knows who they are. ### 5/5 — I Love My Canary *2026-02-20* I got my Canary around ten years ago from the local Apple Store and it still continues to work flawlessly. It has a very high resolution picture in the day and night. I really like the features like room temperature, air quality, and two-way talk. The Canary apps on my iPhone and on my PC are very intuitive and easy to use. The customer service at Canary is top notch. Stacey responded almost immediately to my email request for service and took care of my needs expeditiously and professionally. I would recommend Canary to other users and would buy another Canary to replace this one if it ever dies. :-) **Developer response:** Hi there, thank you for your feedback and support! We are happy to read Stacey provided top-notch support and that your Canary is still going strong after all these years. We are also happy to read you are happy with the updates to the app as well as the Webapp. If you have any questions, please email us at support@canary.is and we will be happy to help. We are also happy to phone you if you prefer. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-08.*